130 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



thor into Systematic and Historical Peda- 

 gogics ; and Systematic into Practical and 

 Theoretical Pedagogics. The systematic de- 

 partment is surveyed in the present volume. 



Addresses Historical and Patriotic, Cen- 

 tennial AND Quadrennial, delivered in 

 the Several States of the Union, July 4, 

 1876-1883 ; including Addresses com- 

 memorative of the Four Hundredth An- 

 niversary of the Discovery of America, 

 1892-1893. Edited bv Frederick Saun- 

 ders. New York: E. B. Treat. Pp.1048. 



In this portly volume are grouped the 

 choicest of the great number of the elo- 

 quent and patriotic oi'ations delivered in the 

 several States of the Union during the series 

 of centennial and multi-centennial anniver- 

 saries through which we have passed since 

 18*76. They include many of vai'ious quali- 

 ties of beauty and eloquence; many well- 

 matured epitomes of the essential qualities 

 of patriotic citizenship, many lessons point- 

 ing out what in our history is to be admired, 

 and some things, perhaps, to be avoided. 

 The facts and sentiments embodied in them 

 cover the whole period of American history 

 from the landing of Columbus down to the 

 year 1893. They have been submitted to 

 the critical supervision of their several au- 

 thors. The publishers suggest that the 

 reading of the book will tend to inspire a 

 higher patriotism, and imbue the mind with 

 true American principles. They ought to ; 

 but the result will depend upon the extent 

 to which readers keep their minds clear 

 from partisan blindness, which so often leads 

 the best of us to the contradiction of what 

 is right and best for the country. 



The Pottery and Porcelain of the United 

 States. An Historical Review of Ameri- 

 can Ceramic Art from the Earliest Times 

 to the Present Day. By Edwin Atlee 

 Barber. With Two Hundred and Thirty- 

 three Illustrations. New York : G. P. 

 Putnam's Sons. Pp. 446. Price, $5. 



The author sets out with a contradiction 

 of the impression, not suflBciently contro- 

 verted even by our own writers, that the 

 United States has no ceramic history. " On 

 the contrary," he says, " it can be shown 

 that the fictile art is almost as ancient in 

 this country as in Great Britain, and has 

 been developed in almost parallel, though 

 necessarily narrower, lines." The work is 



based almost entirely upon thorough personal 

 investigations, with patient and systematic 

 research, study of the products of the pot- 

 teries of the United States, and consultation 

 with intelligent potters in the leading estab- 

 lishments. Care has been taken to omit 

 " some of the time-honored fallacies which 

 have been perpetrated by compilers," and to 

 avoid the use of statements that could not be 

 substantiated. Without attempting to give 

 the history of every pottery that is or has 

 been established in this country, the main 

 purpose of the work is to furnish an account 

 of such of the earlier potteries as for any 

 reason possess some historical interest, and 

 of those manufactories which, in later days, 

 have produced works of originality or artistic 

 merit. Beginning with a description of the 

 processes of manufacture and a list and defi- 

 nition of American wares and bodies, the 

 work treats, further, of aboriginal pottery, 

 early brick and tile making, early potting in 

 America (seventeenth century), potteries of 

 the eighteenth century, operations during the 

 first quarter of the present century, the 

 American china manufactory, the pottery 

 industry from 1825 to 1858, pottery work at 

 East Liverpool and Cincinnati, Ohio, and 

 Trenton, N. J., potteries established between 

 1859 and 1876; development of the ceramic 

 art since the centennial, tobacco pipes, orna- 

 mental tiles, architectural terra cotta, Ameri- 

 can marks and monograms, and tiles for 

 decorative effect. The author expresses him- 

 self highly gratified to be able to call the at- 

 tention of lovers of art to the remarkable 

 progress which has been made in ceramic 

 manufacture among us within the past fif- 

 teen years ; and adds that if his efforts shall 

 result, in any measure, in the breaking down 

 of that "unreasonable prejudice which has 

 heretofore existed against all American pro- 

 ductions," he shall feel that he has been 

 abundantly rewarded. In his chapter of Con- 

 cluding Eemarks he observes that " thus far 

 our potters have been, in a great measure, 

 imitative rather than inventive, and the re- 

 sult is that we have largely reproduced, 

 though in a most creditable manner, patterns 

 and designs, bodies, glazes, and decorations 

 of foreign factories. With some few excep- 

 tions, our commercial manufacturers have 

 been content to copy and imitate the prod- 

 ucts of foreign establishments, and have, in 



